Profile & Facts: Nabha and its Context in Punjab
- Credit: Nitin Akolia
Profile of Punjab
Punjab is a state of complex contradictions. Behind the veneer of a thriving economy, high-income conspicuous consumption and affluent lifestyle indicators, lies another reality of perilous macroeconomic figures, environmental disaster, alarming unemployment, “missing women” and widespread drug abuse. The proverbial self-sufficiency and resourcefulness of the people, once the subject of hyperbole, is now in the way of their acquiring their share of investment, both social, in terms of development aid, as well as financial and commercial.
Profile of Nabha
Nabha, formerly a princely state, is a sub-division of Patiala district with an urban population of about 62,000 people, and over 190,000 people in 174 villages. Its economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, and apart from a factory set up by GlaxoSmithKline, its industry is concentrated in the manufacturing of agricultural ancillaries on a small scale. It has a rich heritage of music and performing arts, as well as traditional crafts, particularly embroidery, parandi (hair tassels)-making and intricate gold and silver work.
Profile & Facts
